Something Tragic, Something Magic
by rocknrolleigns
Summary: Due to disobedience, Seth is being punished by the goddess of love to live on Earth. The only way he can go back to being an Amoretto again is by pairing up Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose without his powers. Seth is determined to do his job and go home. Until his human emotions get in the way.
1. Chapter 1

Being summoned by the god of love Amor is not a bad thing. As his helpers, the Amoretti often go to his chamber to receive assignments or instructions about the humans they need to match up. This time, however, Seth has a feeling it's not going to be something positive. But he takes a deep breath and opens the tall, beautifully adorned door, entering the chamber. As soon as he sees who are inside, he knows he's in trouble.

Seth finds Amor in the middle of the room, his face rather somber. But he isn't alone. By his side stands the goddess of love and beauty. Venus. Seth has only seen her twice before, but her presence is still as intimidating as he remembers. Her eyes are brilliantly blue, reminding Seth of the ocean. Her hair—like her son's—is glowing like the purest gold. Seth bows his head to her then to Amor.

"You would like to see me?" he asks, looking at Amor.

"Actually, _I_ would like to see you," it's Venus who replies.

By Jupiter, this can't be good. But he politely nods. Venus eyes him for a moment. "I notice that you have been disobeying orders more than once. You didn't pair up people you were supposed to."

Glancing at Amor who watches in silence, Seth says, "That's because their personalities didn't match, so the love wouldn't last long anyway. We all know how fleeting mortal love can be."

"They were fated to be together for a reason," Venus begins to sound impatient. "No ethereal being may interfere with fate. Not the gods and goddesses, and definitely not you."

Despite himself, Seth knows when to keep his mouth shut. Besides, she is right. It's a strict rule to not interfere with a human's fate. But still, it's against his instinct to match up two people when he has a feeling it's not going to work. That's why he always observes them before doing anything. He doesn't know how he's going to get away with this one, though, when Venus herself is here to chastise him.

"Since my son is too soft on you, I have to put you in your place," she says again, making Seth's eyes widen. "What is your latest assignment?"

It takes a long second for Seth to realize that she asked him a question. "To—match a man in North America called Roman Reigns to his best friend Dean Ambrose."

"Very well." She nods. "You will carry on with the assignment. But, you will not do it as an Amoretto."

Seth blinks, doesn't quite understand what she just said. Amor, on the other hand, looks uncharacteristically worried. "Mother, I don't think—"

"You will do it as a human," she goes on, ignoring him. "That means without your powers, and you'll be affected by the things that affect humans, such as emotions, hunger, illness, pain, and time."

"No… Venus, please," Seth protests. "It's impossible. How am I supposed to make them fall in love without my powers?"

A smile crosses her beautiful face. "Amor said that you're the brightest of all the Amoretti. You will figure it out," she says, before adding, "And you better figure it out. Because you can only go back here after you complete the assignment. Otherwise you'll have to live the rest of your life as a mortal."

 _No, this can't be happening._ Seth turns to Amor, wordlessly pleading with him to do something. Amor is like a father to him; surely he can't let Seth be trapped on the earth and die as a mortal, can he? But the god of love looks forlorn as he lets out a sigh. "I'm sorry, my child. You have to do it."

It sounds like a death sentence to Seth. But his pride prevents him from begging. If they expect to see him break down, they'll be disappointed because he won't. He takes a deep breath and nods, despite the fear that he'll never see this place again.

"I'll do it."

* * *

Seth's first day as a human is a disaster. He despises the weight of his body, and how he can no longer travel to any destination he wants by thoughts. The constant hunger is another irritating thing about being human. But Seth is not a complainer and complaining won't help him. The name Amor gives him is Seth Rollins. According to his passport he is a 27 year-old American. Roman Reigns works as a manager in an office furniture showroom, and the last thing Amor told Seth was that he's going to work there, starting tomorrow. Seth was hoping they'd give him some more time to adapt to the human life, but well, there's nothing he can do about it now.

"Oh Seth, I'm sorry this happened to you," he hears a familiar voice say.

Seth turns around to find two of his fellow Amoretti in his new place. Summer sighs, looking forlorn, unlike her normal bubbly self. Antonio, on the other hand, looks as calm as usual, but there is concern in his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Summer speaks again.

As okay as his human body allows him after being cast away. "I'll be fine," Seth replies, doesn't want to make her even more worried. "It's just another assignment." He heads for the refrigerator and opens it, taking a green apple out. At least he has enough food for a few days—and hopefully he'll figure out how to do grocery shopping before the food runs out.

The apple is quite sour as he bites it, making him cringe. Antonio and Summer exchange pity looks. "The showroom where you'll work is only across the street," Summer says in a reassuring tone. "Amor is still looking out for you."

Seth knows he is, despite what his mother did. Amor loves all the Amoretti like his own children. But, of course he can't defy Venus. "I know."

They stay for a moment longer, and by then Seth has eaten two more apples. It's odd how quickly he's getting used to the sourness. Either that or he's just hungry.

"We have to go," Antonio tells him. "We'll come back to check on you." Next to him Summer nods.

The apartment feels ten times emptier after they left. Seth keeps glancing at the clock on the wall. Is it just him or the time passes really slowly? He's seen humans watch their television, so he picks up the remote control and turns it on—pressing a few wrong buttons until the television is on. As he flips through the channels he wonders if humans really think these programs of people arguing interesting. Finally, he leaves it on a channel about jungle animals in Brazil. _That's better_. Now he just has to figure out how to use the microwave oven. Sighing soundly, he makes his way to the kitchen.

It's going to be a long day.

* * *

"Here's your locker. The four-numbers combination lock is in the information letter you've received, but you can customize it," a man called Aiden explains. "Every employee can use the pantry on their breaks. Do you have any questions?"

"No," Seth says. He won't change his lock because nothing in his possession is that valuable—as well as because he doesn't know how, jokes on him. Humans seem to value their possessions very highly from what he's seen. "Thank you."

Aiden gives him a nod. "Alright, you can come to me or the manager Roman if you have problems or difficulties," he says. "Welcome to Keller's."

When he's left the locker area, Seth places his phone (which he barely can use) in the locker. Then just as he's about to close the door, the other employees start to arrive.

"Hey, you're the new guy," a dark-haired girl says. "I'm Peyton, and this is Billie." She gestures at the other dark-haired girl beside her. "That's Kofi, and Xavier."

Seth is thankful she makes the introduction easier. "I'm Seth. Pleased to meet you."

The girls giggle a little, probably at how polite he sounded. Seth reminds himself to learn to speak more like them. Amoretti can speak and understand every language known to man, though he doesn't know if he still has that ability now that he's human. As he makes sure his locker is locked, he sees from his peripheral vision that Billie is mouthing something like 'he's so cute' to Peyton.

"I heard from Aiden you're gonna be in the desk and chair section with me," Xavier says. "Come on, I'll show you where things are."

Seth nods; he likes his friendly voice and kind smile. He follows Xavier out of the locker area, walking down a long corridor until they reach the display room. It's a huge area that's neatly divided into sections. Xavier walks him through the ordering system, how to fill the order form and stuff. It doesn't seem too hard—but the problem is Seth hasn't had time to read and memorize the products. And he's supposed to help people choose the right thing. But these are just tables and chairs; it can't be that hard. If mortals can do it, then so must he.

 _Right?_

It turns out helping humans choose chairs isn't as easy as he thought. Seth has gone through probably ten chairs with a woman who clearly shows that she likes none of his suggestions. The customers before her were three women who seemed to be mesmerized by him and bought his lackluster explanations about some tables. But it's not the case with this woman.

"So which one is better?" she sounds more impatient as the time goes. "This one's softer but I don't like the backrest."

Seth honestly has no idea which chair is better, since they all look the same to him. But he has to come up with something. "But I think you can adjust the backrest."

"Can you show me?" she says. He doesn't miss the challenge in her voice. She clearly has lost faith in him.

Seth discreetly looks for Xavier but he's on the other side of the room, talking to another customer. Now what in Jupiter's name is he supposed to do? When she sees that Seth is hesitating, she huffs and calls a man who's walking by.

"Excuse me, do you work here? Can you help me pick a chair for my home office?" she asks him, much to Seth's surprise. He did not expect that. "This gentleman isn't really helping, if I'm being honest."

The man stops and walks closer to them. When Seth recognizes him, his human heart skips a beat. Out of every possible person, it has to be Roman Reigns who witnesses his incompetence. This is definitely not the first impression Seth wants to give him.

Roman's grey eyes are fixed on Seth for a long second before he turns to the woman. "I would always suggest contoured backrest, ma'am, since it offers a better support as well as being more comfortable," he says. His voice is deep and confident, yet it's also gentle. It's the kind of voice that will make people stop and listen. "And a good chair shouldn't be too soft. The foam must be dense enough to support your weight evenly."

Her face lits up as she points at the white chair that she previously didn't like because it was 'too white'. "This one then." Her smile becomes wider when Roman nods approvingly. "Alright, I'll take it. You've been very helpful, thank you."

They both look at Seth who realizes he has to write the order number. He mumbles an apology and writes down the chair's serial number on his order form, then he gives it to the woman. She already strides towards the checkout counter before he explains about the pick-up spot at the back of the showroom. But well, he guesses she already knows.

Roman unfortunately is still there, never taking his eyes off Seth. Amoretti don't find mortals intimidating, but Seth has to admit that something about Roman makes him slightly nervous.

"Seth, right? Do you have experience with office furniture before?" he asks.

"Not really—no."

Roman is watching him, but his face is unreadable. "Where did you work prior to here?"

What should Seth tell him? But luck is on his side this time, because the blond girl behind the checkout counter crosses the room and quickly approaches them. "Excuse me, Roman," she says, before turning to Seth with an annoyed frown on her face. "You wrote the serial number wrong. The system didn't recognize it." Her nametag reads Alexa.

Okay… maybe luck isn't on his side after all. Seth apologizes once again and takes the paper from her, writing down the real number, rechecking it three times to make sure it's correct. Things couldn't possible get worse, could they?

Roman draws in a deep breath after Alexa went back to the checkout counter. "Who interviewed you again?" he asks, before answering his own question, "right, Hunter did." Seth simply nods. He knows Amor can plant any memories on human's mind—as well as erasing them.

"I'm not gonna be hard on you, since today's your first day," Roman says. "But I expect you to do much better once you get the hang of it."

Feeling a surge of relief, Seth gives him a genuine smile. "I won't let you down."

Roman looks at him for one more second before nodding and walking away.

* * *

For the next weeks, Seth is working hard to adjust himself to the human life. He spends all his free time reading and memorizing their products, something he's sure humans will find boring. But well, he has to do something to kill the time anyway. At work he quickly becomes close to Xavier, Kofi, Peyton, and Billie. After the incident with the wrong serial number, Alexa has seemed to decide that Seth isn't worth her time. But it's fine, it doesn't bother him. He knows humans don't always get along with each other.

Seth finds out that Xavier lives nearby, and he kindly takes him to grocery stores, much to his relief since he can't live off apples. So, he's got a lot of frozen meals that only need to be heated in the microwave. It's smart and makes his life easier. Xavier says they don't taste that good, but Seth doesn't mind. It's not like he has other options.

He gets another pleasant surprise one day, when he finds out that he hasn't lost his ability to speak any human language. They have a customer who only speaks Spanish, and Xavier who doesn't know Spanish is pretty frazzled. Before he calls Zelina for help, Seth overhears them and asks the customer what he's looking for. It turns out he can't find a specific filling cabinet.

"I didn't know you speak Spanish," Xavier exclaims after the customer left. "How many languages do you speak?"

"Just a few," Seth says, can't tell him the truth unfortunately. "German, Spanish, French, stuff like that," he names the languages that he knows are popular and not unusual.

Xavier looks at him in awe. "That's awesome, man," he says. Seth merely gives him a smile. It must be Amor looking out for him again; there's no way Venus would be that gracious and let him keep that ability.

Seth also has improved in his job as a consultant. He has memorized the products enough that he can help the customers find what they're looking for. Not always, of course, but at least now he's not clueless about their products. On top of that, he never makes more mistakes while filling the order forms. Though Alexa still looks like she expects him to screw up the next order.

But most of his colleagues are nice to him. He hears from Billie that Peyton has a huge crush on Tye from the warehouse, and it evokes his matchmaker instinct. If he still had his powers, he would give them a little help. Unfortunately, he can only do it the human way.

"What's the problem?" Seth asks her during a lunch break.

Peyton lets out a deep sigh. "I want to ask him out, but if he rejected me I would die." Though he's sure she doesn't mean it literally.

"How do you know he would reject you if you haven't tried?"

"It's 50-50," Peyton insists.

"Well, as for now it's 100-0," Seth tells her patiently. "What's the chance of him knowing you're interested if you never show it?"

Before Peyton opens her mouth to protest, Billie interjects, "He's right, you know. The other day he smiled at you and you just _walked away_. Girl, honestly?"

Another sigh leaves Peyton's lips. "I need coffee," she says, rising to her feet. A moment later she comes back with a paper cup in her hand. "Bill come on, our break's over." Billie nods and stands up. After discarding the cup in the trash, Peyton turns to Seth. "You still got time, right, Seth. Can you refill the coffee? See you later."

Billie gives him a smile and then they both disappear behind the door, leaving Seth alone in the pantry. Did she say he should refill the coffee machine? Well, he supposes he can... He saw Kofi do it once, although at that time he didn't really pay attention. Opening the cabinet, Seth sees bags of—coffee beans and ground coffee. Now which one is it for the machine? Maybe both can be used; why else would they have both? He takes a bag of ground coffee and moves towards the machine.

The lid must be at the top somewhere, that's where he saw Kofi open it. Carefully, Seth observes the top of the machine. He finds the lid, but he's not sure how to remove it. He doesn't want to ruin the machine, Jupiter forbid. After fiddling with it for some excruciating seconds, he manages to take the lid off. But before he can open the coffee bag and fill the container, he hears a voice from behind him.

"Hold on a second."

That voice still does things to Seth, making his heart beat faster. He turns around and finds Roman looking at him, with a half amused expression on his face.

"Are you about to fill it with ground coffee?" Roman gestures at the bag in Seth's hand.

Seth blinks, and replies in a tentative tone, "Yes." Is he… wrong?

Roman eyes him for a second before opening the cabinet and takes the other bag out. "Well, you shouldn't. It's an espresso machine, only espresso beans go into the container. Ground coffee will damage the grinder," he explains. Then he rips open the package and pours the coffee beans into the machine. "The ground coffee is for the other machine, for people who don't want espresso."

"Right," Seth says in a small voice, feeling his face a little warm. Something he never experienced before.

"You don't like coffee?" Now Roman sounds genuinely curious.

Well, Seth's passport says he comes from Iowa, and he doesn't know about Iowa people's coffee habit. "I—haven't got much of it," he says, and it's not wrong. He did try the coffee once and it's really bitter.

Roman places a cup and presses a button on the machine. It buzzes, and a moment later liquid flows into the cup. It's pale brown instead of dark. "If espresso is too strong, try this latte macchiato," he says, giving the cup to Seth, who reluctantly accepts it.

It smells good for starters. Seth lifts the cup to his lips and gently takes a sip. It's hot, but he quite likes the taste of coffee and milk, and the distinct smell. Then he notices that Roman is watching him with a faint smile on his face.

"It's good," Seth says, looking up to meet his gaze. "Thank you." He feels something weird in the pit of his stomach as he sees the smile.

There's silence for a moment, until Roman's phone rings. He pulls it out of his pocket and says, "Sorry, gotta take this." Then he turns around, pressing the phone to his ear. "Hey, Dean."

Seth's eyes slightly widen. Dean as in Dean Ambrose, the person he's supposed to be with? Seth doesn't want to eavesdrop but it's important to know where he stands. So, he takes another sip of his coffee, while discreetly looking at Roman's back.

"Nah, of course I didn't forget," Roman says, adding a little laugh. It sounds good—really good. "I'll see you later, yeah."

From the sound of it they're going to meet up later. Well, it's a good thing, right? Seth doesn't know why he's not as thrilled as he should be. The more time they spend together, the higher the chance that something will happen between them. _Right?_ He's too caught up in his thoughts that he doesn't notice Roman ending the call and turning back to him.

"Try not to mix up the coffees again, will you?" Roman tells him, a smile playing on his lips. Like before, the smile makes Seth feel somewhat weird. He can only nod, doesn't quite understand why he's feeling what he's feeling.

 _Humans and their confusing emotions._

* * *

A few days later Seth is alone with Billie in the archive room, trying to find an old file of a discontinued desk. He decides to throw caution to the wind and ask her about Dean. He supposes she knows more about him, considering she's Roman's secretary.

"Is Roman seeing anyone?" He tries to make his voice sound casual.

Billie's hands stop moving on the files. She turns to him, her dark eyes look interested. "Oh, Seth, you like Roman," she exclaims, sounding excited.

Seth doesn't correct her, because he can't say his real intention. "So—is he? I heard him talk to someone called Dean the other day."

"No, he's single but doesn't really mingle," Billie says, chuckling at her own joke. "With how much he works, I'm not surprised. As far as I know, Dean is his good friend; he owns a diner on Baymeadows Road." She gives him a wink. "I think you have a good chance. You guys will look so cute together."

Seth can't help laughing. "Billie, you're _way_ ahead. I was just asking a question."

Billie taps his back in a friendly manner. "It's okay, Seth. Almost all the new employees had a crush on him," she says.

Well… he can't say that he's doesn't expect it. Roman is close to being perfect, by human standards. Seth shakes his head then continues to look for the file.

Seth glances at the clock on the wall. It's almost 9 PM, and everyone has left hours ago. He decides to stay that late to learn about the new products. He has the catalogue at home, but it's much better to look at the items. Well, it's also better than being alone at home. Sometimes Xavier, Kofi, and the girls ask him to have dinner with them after work, which is quite fun. Billie even has showed him the diner where Dean Ambrose works. She seems to take Seth's question too seriously.

When he walks past Roman's office he notices that the light is still on. He heard from Billie that Roman often stays in the office until very late. But as he looks through the half opened door, he sees Roman lay his head on the desk. His hair has escaped the neat bun he normally wears. Something is wrong. Instinctively, Seth steps closer and enters the room.

"Roman? Are you okay?" he asks in a gentle voice, doesn't want to surprise him.

Roman slowly lifts his face. He looks pale. "Seth… what are you still doing here?"

"I was checking the new arrivals. Don't worry about me, are you okay?" Seth carefully places his hand on Roman's back, between his long, black locks.

"I have a headache," Roman says, with a wince. He massages his temples with his fingers. "Can't drive home like this."

Seth tries not to notice how soft Roman's hair is under his touch. "Don't you have some medicine for the headache?"

"I have aspirin. But I can't take it on empty stomach."

Well, that's a problem. But as he racks his brain for what he should do, Seth remembers something. "I have an apple in the fridge," he says, already moving before Roman says anything. "I'll get it for you." He half sprints to the pantry to get the apple and a glass of water, and then comes back to Roman's office. "Here you go."

For a moment it seems like Roman is about to say no, but he nods and takes the apple. "Thanks." Just one bite of the apple and he scrunches up his face. After a few bites he stops eating, but then he takes a deep breath and eats the rest of it. Seth watches as he takes an aspirin and swallows it with water.

"Sorry, it's quite sour," Seth tells him. He guesses humans prefer sweeter apples.

"Do you like that?" Roman is still wincing, but his face isn't as pale as before. "The only way you can eat those is by using them for apple pie. My friend Dean makes good pies, but even he would need a ton of sugar for your apple."

Well, he must have felt better when he can crack a joke. Seth's lips curve into a smile. "I'm used to it."

Roman watches him for a moment before saying, "You're a peculiar one," his tone soft, almost fond, making something in Seth's stomach flutter.

"You should call a taxi and go home," Seth says, forcing himself to shift his gaze to Roman's computer screen. Roman looks really good with his hair down, and if Seth looked at him for too long his mind would wander to ridiculous places, like thinking about running his hand through the hair. _Ridiculous as well as dangerous._

"So should you," Roman replies.

Seth looks back at him and notices that he doesn't wince in pain anymore. "It's fine. I live across the street."

"Alright," Roman says before picking up his phone. Seth listens as he talks to the taxi service. "He'll be here in ten minutes," he says after ending the call.

Seth nods. What should he do now? Should he wait with Roman until the taxi arrives or should he just go home? Well, he guesses he'll stay, in case Roman still doesn't feel too well.

"You're not from around here, are you?" Roman asks, opening his drawer and placing the files on his desk inside. Seth already regrets his decision on staying.

"No, I'm from Iowa." He doesn't know why Amor chose Iowa out of all the other states. But well, there's nothing he can do about it now.

Roman slightly tilts his head. "Really? That's real far from Jacksonville. How did you know about this job?"

Seth should have known he would ask something like that. What is he supposed to tell him? "I—happen to know someone," he says. Roman seems to sense his hesitation and doesn't ask more, much to Seth's relief. He doesn't want to lie, but he can't tell the truth either. "Maybe we should wait outside?"

"Yeah." Roman rises from his seat.

"How is the headache?" Seth asks him as they walk.

Using his keycard to open the door, Roman gives him a smile. "It's almost gone," he says. When they're out of the door, Seth sees that the taxi has arrived and waited on the parking lot. "Thanks again." Roman turns to look at him.

"Don't mention it," Seth says softly.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

It sounds like a promise that makes Seth's heart beat a little faster. He inwardly tells himself it's not like that. Roman is only being polite. This is another case of a ridiculous and dangerous thought. He shouldn't forget that he's only here to do his assignment. But despite all that, he finds himself nod.

"See you."

* * *

The next morning when he's storing his phone in his locker, Seth hears Peyton's voice call him from the pantry. "Seth, come here." She sounded quite excited.

Feeling curious, Seth closes the locker door and heads for the pantry. What could make her sound that cheery so early in the morning? She's not a morning person normally. He sees Peyton and Billie in front of the opened fridge. Before he opens his mouth to say anything, the girls already pull him closer.

"Look at that," Peyton says, motioning at the fridge.

Seth is still a bit confused of what they're talking about. But then his gaze falls on a blue plate with three shiny, red apples on it. On the plate, there's also a small piece of paper with a neat handwriting that reads: _For Seth._ A smile slowly crosses his face as it dawns on him what the apples mean.

"You're smiling," Billie points out. "It's Roman, isn't it?"

Looking at her, then at Peyton, Seth nods. He can't seem to erase the smile off his face, he doesn't know why. Amoretti don't feel like this. And they're only apples. _But you're not an Amoretto anymore,_ a voice in his head reminds him. Yeah… he's human, with all the complicated human emotions.

"Seth?" Billie calls him again. "Care to tell us what this means? Why did Roman give you apples?"

"It's nothing, really." Seth tells them what happened last night, about Roman's headache, and the sour apple that followed.

Billie puts her hand on her chest, a bit dramatically. "Oh that's cute," she chirps, while Peyton nods vigorously next to her. "So cute."

"Billie, they're just apples," Seth tells her. Although he's not sure whom he tries to convince more: her or himself. He looks at them in turn. "It's not a big deal."

"Sure, love, it's not," Peyton teases, with a playful wink.

Seth lets out a sigh. He isn't sure he convinced anyone.

He hasn't seen Roman that day until much later, when he's with a customer, explaining about a workspace. "If your workstation is used by you and other people, you need to keep in mind the different work habits and body sizes when setting up the workspace," he tells her. "So, you'd want to choose the furniture that can easily be adjusted." He gets a little distracted when he notices that Roman is standing not so far from them, with some folders in his hands. But Seth quickly shakes it off and returns his attention to the customer, who has decided which furniture she wants.

"Thank you for the apples." Seth walks over to him after the customer left.

Roman gives him a smile. "Sweeter than yours, aren't they?"

"Yeah, but I still quite like mine," Seth replies, a little defiantly. It makes Roman chuckle.

"You're a peculiar one," he says, there's an unmistakable fondness in his voice this time. Seth's eyes are fixed on him, can't bring himself to look away. His heart inevitably skips a beat.

Roman looks at him for a long moment before clearing his throat. "You've done much better than when you started," he says, his tone slightly back to normal. "Keep it up."

"Thank you," Seth replies. "I said I wouldn't let you down."

"You did." Roman's voice gets softer once again.

By now, Seth is used to the weird, fluttery feeling in his stomach whenever Roman is around. He knows he's treading on dangerous waters. How many times in his entire existence has he seen humans let their feelings consume them? Human emotions are strong, demanding, and uncontrollable. Even when they try to use their head instead of their heart, it never ends well. Seth can't let it happen to him, he's an Amoretto. He knows better.

But he has a human heart.


	2. Chapter 2

For the next week there are bunch of new arrivals, and Seth spends more time in the showroom after closing time. He's determined to know about the new items as well as everybody else, if not better. Sometimes Roman comes to help him with the codes, since their coding system is rather complicated. His company has become something Seth is looking forward to, although he won't admit it to anyone. Sometimes Roman tells him about his family in Pensacola. He lives alone and the closest person he has in Jacksonville is Dean.

"I've seen them twice this year," Roman says as they're checking the fabric samples for a certain model of lounge chair. "It was only a few months ago we finished expanding the showroom. It's now the second biggest after Orlando. So yeah, we've been very busy."

"Are they okay with you working so much?" Seth asks, peering at a blue fabric. From his peripheral vision, he sees Roman lightly shrug his shoulders.

"I can ask the same thing about you," Roman says, his tone soft but curious at the same time. "Your family okay with you working this far?"

Seth turns his head to find Roman watching him. He blinks and lowers his gaze for a moment. "I don't—really have a family." At least not in a human sense. Amor and his fellow Amoretti are the closest ones to family to him.

"I'm sorry," he hears Roman say, sounding genuinely apologetic.

Shaking his head, Seth looks back up and meets his eyes. "It's okay, I'm used to it."

For a moment, it seems like Roman is debating with himself if he should ask more questions about the subject, but then he decides against it. Instead he turns his attention back to the fabric catalogue in his hand. "Do you have friends here?"

"Yeah," Seth replies. "Peyton, Billie, Xavier, and Kofi. We hang out after work sometimes."

"I mean anyone outside work," Roman elaborates, with a smile.

Seth returns the sample to the shelf. "No." That makes Roman look back at him.

"I don't know many outside work either," he says. "Only Dean and probably two more people. That must mean we work too much?" A grin crosses his face, making Seth smile.

"It's not a bad thing." Seth supposes a little change of view will be nice. But he doesn't have a problem spending most of his time here.

Roman is quiet for a second, seemingly considering something. "Have they taken you to Jacksonville Beach?"

"No."

"I haven't been there for a while," Roman says. "Come with me on Sunday. The weather should be good."

Seth looks at him. Is it a good idea to go to the beach with him alone? From what he's seen, beaches are considered romantic for humans. How many proposals has he witnessed on a beach? But before he thinks it through, a word slips out of his lips, "Okay."

Roman's response is smile that makes Seth's stomach flutter. _This isn't a good idea at all_. But it's too late to back away, and maybe it's his chance to subtly persuade Roman to go out with Dean. Yeah, he will do just that and nothing else.

* * *

At least the beach is nice. Seth likes how the blue water reflects the sunlight, looking exquisite. Roman told him that the weather today is a little cold for Florida's standard, so there aren't many swimmers. They walk along the coastline, and Seth can see the long fishing pier in the distance.

"How did you and Dean meet?" Seth asks when they sit down on the sand after walking for a while.

"I was on the way home one night," Roman tells him. "It was pouring down and I really needed some caffeine to keep going. The diner was closed, but Dean let me in and made me coffee."

Seth moves his hand to his side, feeling the smooth sand under his skin. "That was very kind of him."

He sees Roman smile, a fond look on his face. "He's a great person."

Something is creeping in Seth chest, something unpleasant that he hasn't felt before. Roman seems to like Dean a lot. It's a good thing for him, he should be glad. But why does he feel the opposite? Dean sounds like a nice guy and he'll be good for Roman. So what is the problem?

Seth has to bring them together. It's his job—his punishment. Until he does it, he'll continue to be trapped here in this mortal body. But… is it the right word? Seth doesn't feel like he's trapped. He starts to really like his job as a consultant; he loves helping people choose the right furniture, it makes him feel good. And he likes his colleagues. The other day Peyton finally smiled back at Tye when he smiled at her.

But he wants to go back.

 _Or does he?_

"Are you hungry yet?" Roman's question shakes him off his reverie. He turns to find Roman looking at him. "There's a good seafood restaurant about ten minutes away. But if you don't like seafood we can find something else."

"No, seafood's fine," Seth says. He hasn't had much seafood, but the ones he got were nice.

Roman rises to his feet and offers Seth a hand. "Then let's get going." Seth takes his big hand, feeling his heartbeat speed up when it gives his own hand a little squeeze.

The food is as good as Roman said. Seth ordered fried calamari—or what he would call squid—and fried potatoes, while Roman opted for grilled local snapper. The calamari is better than anything Seth has ever had as a human. It literally melts in his mouth. Compared to the frozen meals he's been living off, it's like heaven and earth. If Roman wasn't watching him, he would've licked his fingers clean.

"I told you the food's good," Roman says in a slightly teasing tone. "What's funny is I found this place by accident a few years ago. I was starving and this was the first restaurant I saw." He takes a sip of his cold lemon tea.

"I'm glad you did," Seth says. Roman's gaze lingers on him for a moment before he looks back at his food.

When they're done eating, the sun is just about to set. Roman suggests them to stand by the pier to watch the sunset.

Seth has seen countless of sunsets in his long existence, but there's something different about it this time. As he glances at Roman, he feels his pulse quicken. The way the last ray of sunlight illuminates Roman's face is beautiful beyond words. Surely no human should be allowed to possess such a beauty…?

Then Roman turns to him, seemingly about to say something. But as his eyes meet Seth's the words never leave his lips.

Their eyes locked for Seth doesn't know how long. But the sun must have set, because the sky is getting dark. Forcing himself to look away, Seth draws in a deep breath. "It's getting late," he hears himself say. "We should go home."

He sees Roman avert his gaze to the sea in front of them, putting his hands inside his jeans pockets. "Yeah."

"Thank you for taking me here," Seth says again. "I really had a good time."

Roman turns back to look at him. "We should do it again sometime," he says, with a smile that does nothing to calm Seth's heartbeat down.

 _No_. Seth knows they shouldn't do this again. But somehow he finds himself nod.

"Sure."

* * *

Their routines haven't changed in the next few days. They stay in the showroom after everyone else has gone home, and Roman is still helping Seth with the new furniture. They keep their friendly distance, but Roman almost always keeps his eyes on him, touching him longer than he should. Deep down Seth knows they're heading towards something dangerous, and it's bound to happen sooner than later.

But he can't bring himself to stop it.

One night Seth is about to open his locker when suddenly everything goes dark. He stands still, doesn't know what he's supposed to do. What do humans do in this situation? The darkness is cold and unpleasant; it's as if he's being swallowed by it. He doesn't know how long he's been standing there. It could be mere minutes or hours, who knows. Then he hears a familiar voice that makes his heartbeat pick up pace, and at the same time oddly calms him down.

"Seth? Where are you?" Roman calls out again.

"Here by the lockers," Seth replies.

A moment later he sees a light and then Roman is in front of him. The light comes from his phone. "There's a power outage," Roman says. "I've called the power company. It can take ten to thirty minutes to repair the generator." He gives a reassuring smile, holding his phone up. "My phone's battery is almost flat, let's just wait in my office."

Seth nods and follows Roman to his office on the other side of the corridor. Roman places his phone on the table, but only a few seconds later the light goes off and the room is pitch-black.

"At least we're here," he hears Roman say with a sigh. "Where are you?"

"I'm here—ow," Seth lets out a gasp when his hip bumps up against Roman's desk.

"What's wrong?"

Seth wishes he didn't notice how good Roman's voice sounds in the darkness. It's as if because he can't use his sight, his other senses work in overdrive. "I—hit your desk. But it's fine."

He can hear Roman move, and his breath is caught in his throat when he feels Roman's solid body in front of him. He's way too close. Seth tries to back away, but the desk is behind him and he can't go anywhere. His heart is pounding wildly, he's sure even Roman can hear it. _No_ , he has to do something. Lifting a hand, Seth places it on Roman's chest in an attempt to keep a distance between them. But as soon as his fingers touch the sculpted chest, all the rational thoughts dissolve from his mind.

Another gasp leaves Seth's lips when he feels Roman's hand on his back, trailing down… and down. Their faces are so close, the scent of Roman's aftershave invades his nose, sending a warm tingle to his skin. Seth's head is spinning. Is this how infatuation feels like? It's intense and overpowering; no wonder humans can't resist it.

Their noses brush, just… barely, making the time stop. Seth's breathing goes quicker, and a moan threatens to escape his throat. Roman's hand moves to the small of his back, pulling Seth against him. _This is wrong._ He isn't supposed to feel this way about Roman, and Roman definitely shouldn't feel this way about him. It's as if all cautions are off in the dark. The sound of blood rushes in Seth's ears when their lower bodies are pressed together. _By Jupiter_.

The bright light that suddenly fills the room comes as a harsh surprise—or a reminder. Seth opens his eyes, blinking a few times. Roman's face is still close as he's watching Seth with hazy eyes. Taking a deep breath to regain his composure, Seth peels his hand from Roman's chest and steps away. His heart is still hammering against his chest.

"I think—I think I should go home," he stammers. But Amoretti don't stammer… What is happening to him? Without waiting for Roman to respond, Seth turns around and walks out of the room. He keeps walking until he reaches the door at the end of the corridor.

But even then his heartbeat hasn't slowed down.

* * *

After that night, Seth never stays past closing time. And he tries not to be alone with Roman unless he absolutely has to. He still catches Roman looking at him more often than not, but Seth will look away as soon as their eyes meet. _This is really bad_. He knows avoiding Roman doesn't resolve the problem. He's seen humans do it many many times before, and the results are always disastrous. So why is he doing the same thing now? Perhaps because it's easier than dealing with Roman… and his own feelings _._ Both are out of his control, and Seth doesn't know which one frightens him more. He should forget about it and focus on the assignment. But how can he do it when he's avoiding Roman?

 _By Jupiter_. Seth never thought it would be this difficult to be a mortal. He has to deal with complicated emotions that sometimes even he doesn't understand. Everything is so much simpler for Amoretti. He begins to wonder if this is the real punishment Venus inflicted on him, not living as a human.

There is a party tonight, celebrating the company's 50th years anniversary. Unfortunately, all the employees have to go, much to Seth's hesitation. But he supposes if he stays close to his friends, he won't have to worry about being alone with Roman. And nothing will happen.

The girls helped him choose a suit the other day, which consists of a dark blue jacket and matching dress pants, as well as a white shirt and a stripy blue tie. He knows he looks good, when quite a few heads turn around to get a closer look as he walks past. The restaurant is rather far from his apartment, so Peyton kindly picked him up and they met up with the others there.

She looks beautiful in her coral dress and her hair down. Billie is also looking good, wearing an aquamarine dress that matches her shoes.

"Girl, we'll get ourselves a man tonight," Peyton exclaims as they enter the restaurant, flipping her hair.

Billie lets out a soft sigh. "By 'we' don't you mean you? And by 'a man' don't you mean Tye?" she replies, making Seth chuckle.

"Well, why can't it be both? You look fantastic; you can get any man you want." Peyton good-naturedly rolls her eyes.

"I'll know if a man is worthy of me, when I see one," Billie counters, with a wink. Peyton sighs and mumbles something about getting a drink. After she leaves to the bar, Billie turns to Seth. "You look great, love. Roman won't be able to take his eyes off you." Before Seth can reply, he catches sight of Roman across the room—staring at him. Next to him Billie laughs. "I hate to say 'I told you so', but _I told you so_."

When Roman starts walking towards them, Seth instinctively makes a move to leave. But Billie grabs his arm, looking at him with amusement on her face. "Where do you think you're going?"

"We—need to find Kofi and Xavier," Seth uses the first excuse he can think of. "They'll wonder where we've been." But it's not a good one, and he knows Billie doesn't buy it.

"They'll still be here," she says, and then a moment later, "hi Roman. Looking good, as usual."

Roman gives her a smile. "Likewise, Billie. Nice dress."

She beams. "Thanks. Seth looks great, too, don't you think?" Seth doesn't miss her wicked smile, but Roman's eyes are solely fixed on him.

"He sure does," Roman says softly, looking at Seth as if he is the only person in the room. Seth's heartbeat begins to act up, like it normally does when Roman is close. He tries not to think about what happened in the dark that time, but his traitorous mind refuses to cooperate.

"I'm gonna check on Peyton," Billie says in a sugary voice, ignoring Seth's wordless plea. "I'll see you guys later." Then she disappears before Seth can say anything.

Who says friends can't stab you in the back? Seth tries his best not to stare at Roman, but it's a hard thing to do. Roman looks impeccable in his black suit, emitting confidence as always.

"Still avoiding me?" Roman asks in a gentle tone that only Seth can hear. But his gaze is intense as it never leaves Seth's face. "Don't you think we should talk about it?"

Seth knows exactly what he means by 'it'. "I don't want to make it more complicated," he says, a bit surprised with how truthful he sounded.

Roman's gaze softens. "It's never complicated for me," he says.

The entire room seems to cease to exist, as if there are only Roman and him. It's the worst possible timing for Seth to realize what he's been feeling all this time. He's in love with Roman. And from the way Roman is looking at him, the feeling isn't one sided.

Seth has failed to do what he's supposed to do. The realization feels heavy in his chest, leaving a sinking feeling. Has he truly become… _human_? He doesn't remember how it feels to be an Amoretto anymore. How can he find a way out of this?

"Sorry, I need to—" Seth never finishes his sentence. He turns around and makes his way towards a door, without knowing where the door leads to. Nor does he care. He needs to get away from Roman, from his own overwhelming feeling about him.

The door leads to a corridor, and at the end of the corridor there is a bathroom sign. Absently, Seth pushes the men's bathroom door open and slips inside. It's empty, thankfully. He walks towards the sink, looking at himself in the mirror. "What am I supposed to do now?" he murmurs at his perplexed face.

"Seth?" A voice makes Seth turn hastily around. He lets out breath of relief when he sees who it is.

"I messed up," Seth admits sadly, knowing his fellow Amoretto will understand. "I can't do my job."

Antonio's eyes are wistful. "I can help you," he says.

Seth looks at him, his eyes widen. Has he heard him wrong? Did Antonio just offer to use his powers to help him? "But—if Venus found out you'd be in trouble."

"Perhaps. But she didn't exactly state we weren't allowed to help, did she?" Antonio says, pausing for a moment. "If you want, Amor will erase Roman's memories of you. Then I can make him and Dean fall for each other."

Seth racks his brain for something to say, but he can't find any. They would defy Venus' order for him?

"But that's not what I'm most concerned about," Antonio says again. "Do you really want this, Seth? Do you want to go home?"

If he asked him a month ago, Seth would say 'yes' in a heartbeat. Of course he wanted to go home. But now the words can't even leave his mouth. Just the thought of Roman forgetting about him and falling for someone else makes his heart clench. Can he… really do that? But at the same time, this might be his only chance of going home.

"I don't—" Seth starts before stopping, taking a deep breath. "Antonio, I don't know… I don't want to get you into trouble."

Antonio gives him a small smile. "Don't worry about me," he says. "Just think about it. When you've made up your mind, I'll know."

Seth looks at him for a long time, until finally he nods. "Thank you."

* * *

He manages to avoid Roman for the rest of the evening by sticking with Xavier and Kofi. Though he gets a feeling that Roman doesn't try hard enough to talk to him again. It seems too easy. The positive thing about the night is that Tye asks Peyton to dance and she accepts it. Despite doesn't feel like smiling, Seth smiles at the sight of his friend as she dances, her hair moving beautifully and her face radiant.

When the party's over, his friends want to go to the club. Billie says the night is still young, and it's Friday. They ask Seth if he wants to come with them, but Seth politely declines. He has an important decision to make, and a club with extremely loud music is not a place he wants to be. But Peyton feels bad for leaving Seth when he came here with her. Seth tells her it's fine, he'll just get a taxi. But Billie says she has a better idea and leaves before any of them can say anything.

Seth follows her with his gaze until she disappears among the sea of people. Surely she can't think about—his thought comes to a halt as Billie comes back with a person he doesn't wish to see.

"Roman's going home, too," she says, can't quite conceal the naughty gleam in her eyes as she looks at Seth. "He'll give you a ride."

It must be something to be stabbed in the back by the same person twice in one night. Although Seth knows that Billie means well. He averts his eyes from her to Roman. Maybe this will be their last time together… if he decides to accept Antonio's offer.

"Is it really okay?" he asks, still feeling a bit reluctant.

"Yeah," Roman replies, his grey eyes fixed on him.

It's the third time Roman drives him in his car. Seth likes the black car; it's big and comfortable, but not too fancy. It suits Roman perfectly. The trip to Seth's place has been surprisingly quiet. Roman keeps his gaze on the road the entire time. His face is obscured, just slightly illuminated by the faint light from the roadsides. Seth keeps glancing at him every now and then, waiting for him to say something. But he never does.

A million thoughts are running through Seth's mind. He would be the biggest fool in the world if he didn't accept Antonio's help, wouldn't he? Realistically, it's the only chance he has to go back home. But that place and his old life feel so far away now. He wants to make sure things are working out between Peyton and Tye. Also he'd surely miss Billie, Xavier, and Kofi if he left. _And Roman_.

 _No, Seth, what are you thinking,_ the voice inside his head chastises him. He can't consider spending the rest of his life as a mortal. He shouldn't.

Before Seth realizes, Roman has entered his apartment's parking lot behind the building and stopped the car. After he's turned off the engine there's a complete silence, only broken by a distant rumble of a passing car once in a while.

Absently, Seth unbuckles his seatbelt. He supposes he should just thank Roman and goes inside, but he can't bring himself to move. Roman is watching him, with a look in his eyes that doesn't make it any easier for Seth to leave.

"Are you running away from something?"

The question takes Seth by surprise. He blinks in confusion. But before he opens his mouth, Roman asks again, "Did someone hurt you in the past?"

"No. Why—did you think so?" Seth finally responds.

Roman gives him a wistful smile. "You seem afraid to start something new," he says softly. "Seth, I'm not gonna rush you into anything. If you need more time, just tell me."

But more time won't do him any good… Seth looks at him, taking in the sincerity in his eyes. _No, don't make it more difficult._ He has to leave. If he stayed for a second longer he might do something recklessly stupid, such as touching Roman's face and—kissing him.

 _Jupiter forbid._

But once again, Seth's foolish human heart has a mind of its own. He feels his body move towards Roman, as if being pulled by some unseen strings. When Roman's lips meet his, the fluttery feeling in his stomach hits him with full force, making his head spin.

Seth doesn't remember how they get into his apartment. But they're inside, lips still connected, only briefly apart when Seth pushes Roman's suit jacket off his broad shoulders, followed by the shirt. He can't think. His head is clouded with an overwhelming desire to feel Roman's warm skin on his. It feels like ages before they're finally free from their restricting clothes. Seth's falls on the sofa; the fabric feels a little rough under his naked back. A gasp escapes him when Roman kisses his jawline and reaches down between their bodies.

Roman trails his tongue over the shell of his ear, making Seth's breathing grow faster. He knows all about sex, and why humans crave it since the beginning of time. But he doesn't expect it to be like this. Everytime Roman does something with his mouth, it causes Seth pleasure and pain. Both are equally unbearable.

"Don't you think we should move to the bedroom?" Roman's voice is rough as he murmurs in his ear.

"But then you'd have to stop touching me," Seth says in a raspy voice that sounds foreign, running his hand down Roman's back.

He feels Roman smile against his ear. "Good point."

Roman's lips are back on his, his tongue gently caresses Seth's while his mouth swallows the moan. Then ignoring Seth's protest, Roman kisses down his body, all the way down to his thigh. _Oh._ Seth buries his fingers in Roman's silky locks, biting his lip when Roman wet mouth finds his arousal. The pleasure is so intense that it almost scares him. But he can't do anything to stop it.

Nor does he want it to stop.

"Roman…" Seth breathes, trying to pull him up. "Kiss me."

Roman crawls back up on top of him and claims his lips. "You're so beautiful," he whispers between the kisses. Seth responds by pulling his head back down and kissing him again, and again. Roman's hand keeps moving, gently squeezing, until the white hot rush overtakes Seth's body and pushes him past the point of no return.

* * *

It's a bit ridiculous to own a coffee maker and doesn't know how to operate it. But Seth never has the need to use it until now, since he doesn't really like coffee. But he knows Roman can't start his day without caffeine, and that's why he's determined to get the machine to work.

Okay, like the one in the office pantry, the ground coffee must go in the brew basket inside the filter. And then he fills the water container with water and presses the button. That should do it. As the smell of fresh brewed coffee fills the kitchen a moment later, Seth lets out a relieved breath.

Roman is still sleeping in his room. Somehow they made it into the bedroom last night, although they didn't fall asleep until much later. Seth can still feel the lingering effect on his body. But… he'd do it again in a heartbeat. His lips curve into a smile. Is this how love feels like?

"Antonio," he says softly, knowing his friend will hear him. "I'm not going back." He pauses for a moment. "Thank you for wanting to help me. But I can't leave Roman." A wave of melancholy suddenly creeps over him. He just let go of the only opportunity to go home. There won't be another chance. Is this really what he wants?

"Good morning."

Someone kisses the side of his neck from behind, almost making him jump. Roman gives him a half-sleepy smile. "You smell good," he murmurs against Seth's skin. "Better than the coffee."

Seth watches as he pours himself a cup. "You still don't like black coffee?" Roman asks, sipping his coffee. He smiles when Seth shakes his head.

It's so easy to stop thinking when he sees Roman move around his kitchen like this, without a shirt, doesn't look out of place—not even a bit. A surge of warmth floods his chest, replacing the melancholy. Yes, this is what he wants.

This is home.

When Seth opens the freezer door to find some frozen raspberries for a smoothie (Peyton taught him to make one), a package of frozen meal jumps out, startling both of them. It would fall on the floor if Roman didn't reflexively catch it.

"Do you really eat this? The mashed potatoes taste like cardboard," Roman says, his nose crinkles in distaste.

Seth takes the package from his hand and shoves it back into the freezer. "I don't have many choices." To be honest, he's getting tired of the frozen meals, but what else can he do?

When he's closed the freezer door, he sees Roman watching him. "I can teach you how to cook," Roman says in a gentle tone, lifting his hand to stroke Seth's cheek. "We can start today, starting with some grocery shopping. You'll need veggies and spices. And meats."

"You'll do that for me?" Seth asks.

Roman leans forward to give him a chaste kiss on the lips. "Of course I will." Then he turns around to open the fridge. "Well, you didn't joke when you said you like sour apples," he says, a mild amusement on his face.

"Do you think I'm weird?" the words slip out of his mouth before he can stop them. Roman called him peculiar before, and peculiar means weird. Right?

Closing the fridge door, Roman takes his hand and gently pulls Seth towards him. "You're peculiar," he says, with a fond look in his eyes that makes Seth heart beat faster. "And I wouldn't change a thing about you."


End file.
